Fall Into Me
by Stormess
Summary: DEADLIEST CATCH Phil Harris's health is looking grim, and he's not really caring anymore. Until a chance meeting with a friend of Nik's leads him to start questioning everything he does, especially when it comes to Bren.
1. Disclaimer

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything from Deadliest Catch, nor do I know anyone from Deadliest Catch, and I make NO money from this story. I own the idea for the story, as well as certain characters. My created and owned characters are Nik, Brenna, children of the girls and Nik's sister. I also own the idea for the Aleutian Starfire, if there is a boat with that name already, it is coincidence and I claim no rights to any real boat of that name.


	2. Brenna Kinkaid

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Brenna, Christa, Nikolina and Erik. Oh, and the mentioning of the Aleutian Starfire. No money is made either, I'll stay broke forever, no worries there.

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Sig Hansen and his wife Nikolina were standing near the airstrip in Dutch Harbor, waiting for the next plane to land. A former captain, Nik was now a dedicated mother to a hyperactive four-year old, and the couple had another baby on the way already. When the plane came through the snowy clouds, Nik smiled and rested a hand on her stomach. Sig kissed her cheek and walked over to where the plane was landed, waiting to help someone off of it, obviously.

Brenna Kinkaid stepped to the opened doorway of the plane and glared at the snow that was blowing around everywhere. Mumbling to herself about the frozen hell on Earth, she looked down at Sig and shook her head. "Couldn't you two have picked a warmer place to work?" He laughed and reached up, taking her hand and helping her out of the plane. "If it was a warmer place, Nik would complain because it was too hot to bear while she's pregnant."

Laughing at the joke, Brenna helped him get her things off the plane before they started walking in Nik's direction. "What's she trying to do, freeze the baby or something? She's crazy, Sig, I don't see how you ever married her." The Norwegian captain laughed harder this time as he reached his wife and kissed her softly. "I married her because she is the most beautiful woman in the world, and the only woman to steal my heart and lock it away in her gentle grasp."

Raising an eyebrow, Brenna looked over at Sig and nearly gagged, "Oh please, stop with the mushy stuff, it doesn't suit you at all." Nik laughed and stepped around her husband to embrace the other woman in a warm hug. Bren hugged her back with a smile on her face, letting go and then stepping back a bit. "Alright then, lets get going to somewhere out of this snow, I'm about to freeze!" The three of them laughed and started walking toward the center of Dutch Harbor.

Nik eyed Bren while they walked, she had certainly changed since the last time they had been together back in Texas. She was taller now, but not by much, maybe around five feet seven inches, give or take a little. Her hair was the astonishing part, she'd never worn it long, and now it was below her waist, and just as dark as the ocean at night. Raising an eyebrow, Nik noted that her friend had finally grown into her body as well, having filled out everywhere in just the right amounts.

Feeling the eyes on her, Bren looked over at Nik and grinned, "Yes I've changed since high school, you can quit staring, its really me." The two of them laughed and Sig rolled his eyes as he led them straight to the Elbow Room, holding the door open for the two of them. Nik stepped inside and shrugged out of her long coat, showing that she was still tiny, but being pregnant had its effects. Bren took her jacket off and hung it up before shaking the snow out of her hair and glancing around the room.

Sig took his jacket off the hung it up along with Nik's before leading them over to a table, pulling out a chair for each of them. When they were seated, Nik let out a soft sigh and leaned back a bit, gently rubbing her stomach a few times. Bren watched her and then laughed softly, "I never thought I would see the day when Nik Sanders was married and pregnant." Grinning, the former captain leaned her arms on the table and looked at her friend. "I'm not just married and pregnant, remember, I have a four year old son too."

Raising an eyebrow, Bren leaned forward and put her hand on Nik's forehead before looking at Sig, "Just what did you do to her? You turned my lioness friend into a mouse who is married with children, you should be so ashamed!" He laughed and put an arm around Nik's shoulders, "I didn't do anything, she's the one who teamed up with my brother to drag me into all this, if anything, I'm the victim here, not her." Nik grinned and leaned against Sig's side, resting her head on his shoulder, "Yes, Captain Hansen, but you were the one kissed me first, so you started it."

Opening her mouth to say something, Bren nearly jumped out of her seat when the door slammed open behind her. Two young boys walked in and grinned before making a beeline straight toward the bar, everyone casting wary glances at them. Nik groaned and put a hand over her eyes, "Not them…not today…I cannot deal with Ding and Dong while I'm pregnant." Sig laughed and kissed her forehead, hugging her shoulders gently, "Don't worry, I'm here to protect you."

"Ding and Dong? Did I miss something here? Please tell me that isn't their real names." Bren said as she cast a glance at the two boys at the bar. "No, that's their nicknames, and they're more trouble than they look like they could be." Nik said as she remembered her wedding day with those two on the deck of the Northwestern. Hearing the familiar voices of Sig and Nik, the two turned around and grinned before hurrying over to the table and pulling up some chairs.

Jake leaned his arms on the table and then looked at Nik, "Hey Captain, how's junior number two doing in there?" Nik shot him a glare and he laughed before reaching out and patting her stomach, "Don't worry little guy, Uncle Jake is here for you!" Brenna was stunned into complete silence, any other time, she would have bet money that Nik would knock them both out for annoying her. But now here she was, tolerating them and actually seeming somewhat friendly toward them.

"Alright Ding and Dong, break it up and leave Nik alone before I decide to make you both clean the whole Cornelia Marie alone." Came a gruff voice from behind her, causing Bren to shiver at the sound, but not daring to turn around. Phil Harris shot his boys a glance before sitting down beside Sig, the two of them shaking hands with smiles on their faces. When he looked at Nik, his eyes softened and he smiled, "You still holding up alright, Nik?" She smiled and leaned over Sig to kiss Phil's cheek, "I'm fine Phil, but there's someone I would like you to meet."

Phil turned his eyes toward Brenna and froze, he'd heard that a friend of Nik's was coming to Dutch, but he hadn't expected her to be so stunning. Holding his hand out to her, his eyes remained soft they way they'd been when he looked at Nik. "Phil Harris, Captain of the Cornelia Marie, and you are?" Bren blushed bright red and reached out, sliding her hand into his, "Brenna Kinkaid, umm, I don't really have a title to go by, just Bren." He let his hand linger a little longer than necessary before he pulled back and cast her a smile.

Bren felt her heart flutter in her chest and she looked at Nik quickly, hoping her eyes were signaling the need of aid from her friend. Catching onto the look, Nik cleared her throat and stood up slowly with the help of her husband. "If you handsome men will excuse me and Bren, we're going to go to the ladies room to freshen up." Stepping around her chair, Nik walked over to her friend and took her hand, walking with her toward the bathroom.

When they were far enough away, Sig leaned back in his chair and started laughing as he looked at Phil's face. "You look like you got hit with a crab pot, and you're staring." Quickly tearing his gaze away from Bren, Phil looked over at Sig. "I was not staring at her, I was just looking." The Norwegian laughed again and shook his head, "You were both checking each other out, why do you think she got Nik to get her out of here for a minute?"

Shaking his head, Phil lit a cigarette and took a long drag off of it, coughing a few times before looking back at Sig. "She's pretty, but I think you might need some glasses, Hansen. I'm twice her age, what would she be looking at me for?" Leaning on his arms, Sig lit a cigarette of his own, "I'm twice Nik's age, what would she want with me? Age is just a number, Phil, and we aren't getting any younger, I found love again, now I'm married with a son and another baby on the way, its not too late for you either, you know."

He shook his head, but stayed quiet when Nik came back with Brenna not far behind her, the two of them sitting back down. Nik cast a glance at Sig and he quickly put his cigarette out before putting an arm around her shoulders. Bren laughed at the sight of the fearless Norwegian obeying his wife's silent demand without a fuss. Phil raised an eyebrow at the action and then noticed that she was giving him that same look. "Alright, alright." He grumbled as he took one more drag and put the cigarette out, going into a brief coughing fit before settling down again.

Nik reached over and put a hand on his arm, squeezing gently, "You know they're not good for you Phil, take care of yourself, I want you around for years to come." Brenna watched as Phil nodded, it was almost like they were family, which would make sense really. Now if she could just figure out what it was about Phil Harris that made her heart skip a beat, she knew she'd be alright.


	3. Dangerous Ground

Disclaimer: I only own Bren, Christa, Erik, and Nik, also the Aleutian Starfire when it's mentioned. No money is made from this either, its purely for entertainment.

A/N: After three re-writings I finally got this chapter out, and it's still short and not how I planned it. I'll make up for it in the next chapter though, if I can work past this writer's block I've had going on. Bear with me for a bit though, I'll pick things up soon, I promise!

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An hour later, Bren was sipping on a beer, watching Sig and Nik dancing together over in the corner. Every time he would lean close to her ear, she would blush and then grin up at him, Bren still couldn't get used to the new Nikolina. She saw someone walk up to her side and she glanced up to see Phil's song, Josh, standing there with a smile. "Care to dance?" Putting her drink down, she looked up at him, propping her head on her hand, "Don't you think I'm just a little bit old for you?" He grinned and held out his hand, "Come on, unless you're scared."

Raising her eyebrows, Bren stood up and pushed her hair back from her face, "I don't scare easily, you know." Josh laughed and then reached out, taking her hand into his, turning to walk toward Sig and Nik in the corner. She went along behind him, casting a glance at Nik and rolling her eyes over the actions of the Harris boy. When the next song started, Josh put his hands on her waist and then started to move with the music. Bren laughed a bit and fell into step with him, glancing back at the table where Phil was watching them with an intense gaze.

She blushed at the look in his eyes and quickly looked away, raising an eyebrow when Josh pulled her closer to him. Sig's eyebrows shot up at the move Josh made, not saying a word though, he wasn't about to miss Josh getting pummeled. "Alright, boy, you make another move like that and I'll break your arms." He just grinned, something that irked Bren's temper, she didn't like being toyed with, especially by someone like him. Opening her mouth to speak, she was stopped instantly when she felt his hands slide into her back pockets.

Sig moved Nik to the side and slightly behind him, having a feeling that things were about to start getting ugly. Fire flashed in Bren's eyes when she looked up at Josh, but she didn't have time to react before Phil was at her side. He was giving his son an icy glare that even made her shiver, and apparently it had the desired message. Josh moved back from her and held up his hands a bit, backing off before quickly retreating from the corner to go back and sit with this brother, who was laughing at the near-death mistake the oldest had made.

Once he was satisfied that he had things under control, Phil turned to look at Brenna, not completely able to explain the intensity. He'd seen red as soon as his son's hands had drifted lower into her pockets, and then he'd been at her side. Glancing over at Phil, she tried to think of something to say at this point. Nik laughed softly and nudged her husband, who turned to look at her as she leaned up and whispered, "Want to make a bet, Captain Hansen?" Raising an eyebrow, he grinned and turned to her, "Depends on what that bet is, Mrs. Hansen."

Quietly excusing herself, Bren nearly sprinted to the bar and ordered another beer, taking a long drink as soon as it was placed in front of her. She needed to get her mind back on track, she wasn't here to find a boyfriend, she was here to work for Christa for a while. Really, she'd only come because Nik had called her, she couldn't work with her sister anymore, the due date for the baby was too close. Taking another long drink of her beer, she put some money down on the bar and then started back toward the table.

Putting a smile on her face, she looked at Sig and Nik, "I hate to be running off, but I'm going to go over to Christa's shop." Smiling, Nik stood up, with Sig's help, and hugged her friend gently, whispering to her as well. "When he's here before the season starts, Phil goes to the diner for breakfast every morning, you should come visit with him sometime." Rolling her eyes, Bren let go of Nik and then turned to Sig, holding her hand out to him, "It was good to finally meet you face to face, Sig."

He reached up and took her hand and then stood up, pulling her into a light hug before letting go of her. "It was nice to meet you too, and thanks for coming to help Christa while Nik's on maternity leave." Grinning, Bren shrugged her shoulders and looked up at the Norwegian, "She's a great friend and I owe her a lot. Besides, it gives me a chance to spoil the kids before I have to go back home." Nik laughed and shook her head with a light yawn, "You joke now, just you wait until you have kids, I get to spoil them then, but for now, I'm going to go take a nap, this kid is wearing me out."

Sig led Nik over to the door and got their coats on before waving to Brenna and then walking outside to head back to the Northwestern. Realizing that Phil was standing at her side, Bren looked over to him and smiled a bit. "It was nice to meet you too, Captain Harris, maybe I'll see you around sometime." Phil stood up and held his hand out to her, "It's a small place, we'll meet up again sometime soon. Oh, and call me Phil, no need for the Captain Harris stuff." She laughed softly and slid her hand into his, "Alright then, Phil, I'll see you again sometime."

When she moved to leave, he gently squeezed her hand and pulled her back, leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to her cheek. Bren's eyes went wide and she blushed, glancing up at him with a light smile. Waving a bit, she hurried over and put her coat on, picking up her bags and heading outside, wincing from the coldness of Dutch Harbor. "And I left Texas to come here for three months…Nik owes me big time for this one…"


	4. Stranded

Disclaimer: I only own Nik (Nikolina), Bren (Brenna), Christa, Erik, Aleutian Starfire when its mentioned and Nik's new baby (who will be named later, I'm not spoiling the surprise!) Everything else belongs to the rightful owners. I make no money from this, its pure entertainment!

A/N: I'm proud to being you chapter 3 of this story, it was a nice chapter and worked with me! I hope you all enjoy, and thanks for all the reviews so far!

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Three days, she'd counted nearly every minute of every day that she'd been stuck here in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Business was slow at Christa's shop, but when they did get a customer, the sale was usually a very large one. For the life of her, Bren couldn't figure out what had ever possessed her to agree to this. Sure, Nik was one of her best friends in the world, but coming to Alaska for the next three months was just insane. Yawning a bit, she leaned on the counter and looked outside, another day of snow, as if she'd expected anything different.

Without warning, Christa came from the back with a squeal of excitement that made Bren jump straight up. "Nik's in labor, Sig just took her to the hospital!" The blond woman exclaimed as she nearly tackled Bren in a hug. Laughing, she hugged Christa and then stepped back, "That's great news, Christa, you'll have a new niece or nephew soon." Nearly bouncing, Christa grabbed her things and rushed for the door, "You can lock up for the day, you've earned the day off!"

Shaking her head with a smile, Bren emptied the register into a bank bag and then carried it to the back, locking the money away in a safe. When she was done, she took out her keys and locked up the back room before heading out into the main part of the shop. Putting her coat on, she went to the door and cut off the lights and then stepped outside, locking the doors to the shop and putting the keys safely away in her pants pocket. Shivering a bit, she walked over to the snowmobile she'd rented out while she was here, taking the cover off of it and getting on.

Making sure she was bundled up good, she started the machine and then turned it toward the path leading out of Dutch. Nik had offered her a bunk on the Northwestern and Christa had even offered to let her stay at her house, but she'd declined. She had rented a small cabin miles out of town so she could have plenty of alone time. Now was one of the times she regretted the hour drive back there, it was freezing cold out here in this snowy mess.

Keeping her eyes on the path, Bren shivered again, the snow was getting even worse the further away from Dutch Harbor she went. Shaking off the sense of fear she had, she kept going, pushing through the snowstorm around her. She decided right then that when she got back to the cabin, she was going to take a long, very hot bath. Then she would settle into her pajamas with a good book and spend the rest of the afternoon and night lounging around in peace.

Her mind drifted back to what Nik had said in the Elbow Room on her first day here, Phil always had breakfast at the diner. She had the information, but she hadn't used it yet, the way she reacted around Phil Harris completely unsettled her. There was something about him that made her curious, but at the same time, it kind of scared her. He wasn't a dangerous man, but the things he made her feel with his smile, and the sound of his voice, now that was dangerous business.

Shaking her head to clear the thoughts, she looked around the path, everything was covered in thick blankets of snow. It all looked the same, but different at the same time, she didn't remember this particular part of the path. Frowning a bit, she chided herself about worrying too much, she'd used nearly all of her first day learning the path to the cabin. There was no way she could be lost, well, there was a chance, but she didn't want to think about it in this storm.

Besides, from what Christa had said, the crabbers would be in Dutch in two days to kick off the Opilio season. She had to get ready to deal with the rush the crabbing season would bring to the small, Alaskan town. A sharp curve caught Bren off guard and she jerked the handlebars to the right as hard as she could to keep from going over the edge. Panic welled up inside her when the machine lurched and then went sailing off the edge of the drop-off.

Unable to help herself, she screamed, her hands grasping for anything, but all she found was loose snow with nothing to hold onto. She hit the ground harder than expected, though she was thankful she hadn't landed on the snowmobile. Her body was shaking from the fear of falling, unable to make herself move at the moment. Closing her eyes, she willed herself to be calm, knowing that going into a full panic wouldn't help her situation at all.

Carefully, she tested her arms and legs, seeing if she could move them, everything appeared to be fine, at least she hadn't broken her back or anything. Sitting up slowly, she rubbed the back of her head, the fall hadn't been at all graceful. Sighing a bit, she looked around her and all she could see was snow and even more snow beyond that. Looking at the snowmobile, she frowned and got to her feet slowly, her back was aching from that fall.

Stepping over to the vehicle, she righted it and then tried to start the engine, but it didn't even make the slightest noise. "Well that's just great, this thing isn't going anywhere…" She grumbled before shaking her head, she had no idea which direction Dutch Harbor was, this wasn't anywhere near her normal path to the cabin. The only problem was, she couldn't just stay in this one spot and wait for someone to come for her, Christa wouldn't even know she was gone until tomorrow morning.

The thought of spending the night out in the open was a stupid thing to do, she needed to find some kind of shelter. Checking the snowmobile for any useful supplies, she rolled her eyes when she found nothing at all. Shaking her head, she glanced around and then picked a direction to start walking in, putting her hands in her pockets and looking down. Keeping the snow away from her face as much as she could, she started making her way through the storm.

Knee deep in snow in the middle of a snowstorm was already getting on her nerves and she hadn't made it ten feet yet. It was going to be hell to walk through this stuff, and even harder to find somewhere out of the harsh storm. She had to rely on Christa to panic and send people after her, if she didn't, there was no telling when she'd be rescued. Closing her eyes for a moment, she pushed through the storm, already shivering like crazy because of this weather.

A born and bred Texan had no business in snow like this, she was too warm blooded to handle temperatures that were below zero. Tripping over a rock beneath the snow, she squealed as she fell forward into the cold powdery stuff. Cursing up a storm, she got back to her feet and stomped her way through the snow some more. Her fear of being trapped out here was putting her in one heck of a mood, it was her natural defense to being scare, get angry and worry later.


	5. The Search

Disclaimer: I only own Nik (Nikolina), Bren (Brenna), Christa, Erik, Aleutian Starfire when its mentioned and Kristen (Nik's new baby) Everything else belongs to the rightful owners. I make no money from this, its pure entertainment!

A/N: This was a little hard to write for some reason, but I'm hoping you all enjoy it, thanks for the reviews!

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Christa arrived at her shop the next morning with a smile on her face, Nik had given birth to a beautiful baby girl. The happy couple had named her Kirsten Anne Hansen, making Christa a very happy aunt for two lovely Hansen children. When she saw that the shop wasn't opened yet, she frowned, Bren was never late for anything, never had been either. Walking up to the door, she unlocked it and walked inside, turning on the lights. "Brenna, are you in here?" Silence was the only thing that greeted her in the shop, and she started to get worried.

Going back outside, she locked the door and ran over to her truck, getting inside and heading down the path toward the cabin. Something was out of place and she knew it, the storm had been bad last night, but Brenna was a smart person. There was no way she'd of left the shop if the weather had gotten too bad, that was for sure. She watched the snowy road carefully, seeing that there were no tracks at all, which meant Bren hadn't been through this morning.

Speeding up as much as she dared, Christa went along the road, trying not to think about the bad things that could have happened. A little while later she pulled up at the cabin and threw the truck in park, jumping out and running to the front door. Knocking on the door, she waited for an answer, but it was completely silent, not even a sound out here. "Brenna! Are you in there!?" She was seriously starting to panic now as she ran around the side of the cabin, not seeing the snowmobile there at all.

"Oh dear God, something's happened to her!" Completely in panic mode, Christa ran back to her truck and jumped in. Putting it into gear, she turned it around and headed back toward Dutch Harbor, her heart hammering in her chest. All she could think of was every bad thing that could have happened to the Texan woman. Shaking her head, she tried to hold onto her composure, but she could already feel the tears starting to sting her eyes.

It took her a little while to get back to Dutch Harbor, but she parked her truck at the shop and jumped out, locking it up. Not wasting a second, she took off down the path into the main part of town, running as fast as her legs would carry her. She dodged people who were out on the path and the paved walkways, trying not to run into any of them in her haste. The diner was her first thought, but she quickly changed her mind and decided to go to the Elbow Room.

Coming up to the building, she slid on the ice, nearly falling as she made it to the door and flung it open, stumbling inside. Everyone turned to look at the door, things going quiet at the obviously panicked young woman standing there. She was shaking as she took a few steps into the building, breathing heavily from running, the tears finally spilling from her eyes. Andy and Jonathan Hillstrand and Phil rushed over to her, instantly thinking something had happened to Nik or Sig.

Christa grabbed onto Jonathan and started to cry almost uncontrollably, shocking the Hillstrand brother as he looked at his brother and Phil. "Chris, calm down and tell us what's wrong, sweetheart." Jonathan said as soothingly as he could, gently pushing her back from him, wiping her tears away with this fingers. "Its Brenna, she's missing! She wasn't at the shop when I got there and there's no sign of her at her cabin!" Phil's eyes darkened and a look of worry crossed his face the instant he heard her name, if something had happened to her, well, he couldn't think about that.

"We'll go out and look for her, you need to calm down a little bit, we don't need you having a nervous breakdown." Andy said as he glanced at Phil, who had just turned and grabbed his coat, walking out the door without a word. Jonathan watched him and then hugged Christa closer before looking to his brother. "You go and get some of the guys together and see if you can find Brenna, I'll stay with Christa." Andy nodded and got his coat, walking out the door to go to the Time Bandit and get the crew to help him look for Brenna.

Phil hadn't wasted time with anything once he'd heard she could be in trouble, heading up the path toward the shop. There was only one path toward the cabin, and he knew Brenna would have stayed on that path. Unless the storm had confused her, then she would have drifted from the path to God only knew where out here. Picking up his pace, he trudged through the snow, coughing violently a few times, tasting blood in his mouth with a frown.

It didn't stop him though, she needed to be found if she'd been missing this long, it only made him worry even more. He didn't know what had him so worried about her, they'd only met a few days ago, but she'd had an impact on him apparently. Pushing everything out of his head, he kept walking, veering off the normal path to a less used one. Something was telling him to go this way, and he wasn't about to question it, he knew better than to question intuition.

Bren had walked for hours the day before, and had finally stumbled upon a rock outcropping that provided some shelter. She'd been so tired that she didn't care where she was as long as the snow didn't pile up on her. Settling into the small space beneath the outcropping, she had curled into a ball to keep warm. Even though she hadn't planned on falling asleep, exhaustion had claimed her and she'd fallen asleep there. It was a big mistake though, Alaskan nights were extremely cold and could kill someone if they weren't careful.

The cold had numbed her, and when she'd woken up this morning, she had a mouthful of cold snow before sleep claimed her again. She was frozen and her body temperature was dropping dangerously low. Her lips were pale and were starting to turn blue, but there was nothing she could do since she was in a deep sleep. Snow had piled up around her safe area, and only someone who was looking for her would be able to find her in this mess.

Coming to the curve where she'd went off, Phil stopped when he saw the snowmobile below, his heart stopping at the sight. Another fight of coughing wracked his body and he spit blood from his mouth, frowning at the sight. Not worried about his own health, he found a safe way down and hurried over to the snow-covered vehicle. When he didn't find her anywhere around, and there was no blood, he felt a little better, but not much, he was still extremely worried about her.

Glancing around, he chose a direction based on his inner feelings and started off walking again, he would find her no matter how long it took him. Back at Dutch Harbor, Andy was gathering the crew of the Time Bandit to get them to go look for Brenna. They had no idea that Phil had gone out to look for her yet, but another storm was coming their way. Cursing, Andy shook his head at the darkening sky, "Damnit, we can't go out there in this storm, but she needs help if she's out there."

Jonathan walked up with Christa and sighed a bit, "We can't have you all going out there in a storm like this." Christa looked up at him with panic in her eyes, "You can't just not go after her, she could die out there!" Turning to her and pulling her into a gentle hug, Jonathan comforted her as best he could, "If they go out there, they could be trapped too. I know you're worried but we have to wait until this storm blows over." She buried her face in his chest and cried softly, being clearly upset over this whole thing, and overly worried about Brenna.


	6. Finding Brenna

Disclaimer: I only own Nik (Nikolina), Bren (Brenna), Christa, Erik, Aleutian Starfire when its mentioned and Kristen (Nik's new baby) Everything else belongs to the rightful owners. I make no money from this, its pure entertainment!

A/N: This chapter didn't want to cooperate, but I finally beat my muses into letting me finish it. I'm hoping the next chapter will be a little better than this one. Thanks to all of you who have reviewed, I appreciate it greatly!

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Phil had been walking for over an hour now, a determined look set on his face as he looked everywhere around him for a sign of Bren. His coughing had grown more insistent, and the volume of blood had increased, but he was a stubborn man. Coming over a small hill, he stopped to catch his breath and to look around the area. A flash of red caught his eye and he felt his heart skip a beat, hurrying toward the red he saw in the otherwise white and green area.

When he reached the small outcropping where she was, he came to a complete stop, she wasn't moving and her lips were blue now. Fear clenched his heart tightly as he knelt down and cleared the snow away before reaching out to her. Swallowing hard, he took one of his gloves off and touched her neck, feeling for a pulse. It was faint but still there and it gave him some relief as he pulled the glove back on and then crawled under the rocks with her.

Undoing his jacket, he reached over and pulled her to him, tucking her body into his to warm her as much as he could. She didn't move when he pulled her closer, and it worried him, he had to get her back to Dutch, but another storm was coming up fast. All he could do was to stay here with her and keep her as warm as he could until help arrived. He knew that once the storm let up, Andy and the Time Bandit crew would have people out there looking for her.

As soon as Nik heard, there was no doubt that the Northwestern men would be out helping in the search. It gave him comfort to know that, and if Nik had her say, more crews would be helping to look for Brenna, and Nik always got her way. Closing his eyes, he held her tighter, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. Something about her made him feel calm when she was around, but defensive of her the moment someone did something to her he didn't like.

Opening his eyes, he looked down at her sleeping form, she looked so fragile and he hated seeing her like that. She was a woman who was full of fire, free spirited, and completely independent, right now she was nothing like that. Lifting his hand, he touched her face; the overwhelming urge to kiss her had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Sighing softly, he rested his forehead against hers, "Don't you dare die on me, Brenna, you keep fighting."

Somewhere in the fogginess of her mind, Bren could have sworn that she heard Phil Harris talking to her about not dying. Was she really dying? She could feel warmth surrounding her now, something she hadn't felt since she left the shop hours and hours ago. Fighting to get her senses about her, she managed to coax her hands to move. Through the coldness, she felt a warm, hard chest and it shocked her senses enough to get her eyes to open.

When he felt her move, his heart beat faster, and when her eyes opened, he breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Their eyes met and Bren blinked away the blurriness from her eyes, focusing on him as a look of shock crossed her face. "Phil…it really is you." He nodded and hugged her tightly against him, "Its alright now, Brenna, I'm here." Tears stung her eyes and she rested her head against his shoulder, her hands gripping his shirt tightly.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" He asked softly as he stroked her hair, doing his best to comfort her as best he knew how. She shook her head and then wiped the tears away from her eyes, curling into his body with a soft sigh. Phil let her move where she wanted and then hugged her gently, "Christa was so worried about you, she came to the Elbow Room crying." Bren looked up at him, about to say something when a coughing fit overtook him.

A look of concern crossed her face, but she didn't have the energy to move very much to help him, she was still frozen. "Whats wrong, are you alright?" He took a breath and then looked into her eyes, "Its nothing, don't worry about me right now." She frowned and opened her mouth to speak, but he couldn't deal with her worrying over him right now. Leaning down, he covered her mouth with his, kissing her like he'd wanted to the moment he saw her.

Bren felt heat rise to her cheeks, knowing she was blushing as he kissed her, closing her eyes at the feelings it brought out in her. Phil had expected her to resist the kiss or do something to stop him, but when he kissed her, she only returned his kiss. It wasn't something he had been prepared for, but it gave him hope in knowing that she felt something. He wanted to hold her like this forever, a feeling he hadn't had in too long, ecstatic that it was her making him feel this way.

Hours later, from her hospital room with her newborn daughter, Nik was calling the shots on her friend's rescue. The second she'd heard, she had demanded that Sig leave her at the hospital and go get help for Brenna. He had obeyed, of course, and left to get the Northwestern crew together to go and look for the missing woman. It would only be a matter of time before they would find her, Nik would make sure of that, along with the rest of them.

Sig had just hopped off of the Northwestern with his crew, meeting up with the Time Bandit crew on the docks. Jonathan came up to Sig and the two shook hands before Jonathan spoke, "We're going to help look for Brenna, we'll cover more ground that way." The Norwegian nodded and then looked at the crew of the Cornelia Marie that had just walked up. Josh looked at Sig and nodded, "Dad went out to look for Brenna before the storm hit, we've got to find him now, too."

Andy shook his head and sighed heavily, "I knew he would do something stupid like that. What was he thinking, going out there like that?" Sig put his hands on his hips and closed his eyes, "He cares about her more than he'll admit. That's why he went out there after her." The men nodded and then Jonathan spoke up again, "We need to worry about finding them first, there's no telling how long the storm will hold off." They all nodded and left the docks, setting out to find Phil and Brenna, all of them hoping that they were alright wherever they were out there.


	7. The Rescue

Disclaimer: I only own Nik (Nikolina), Bren (Brenna), Christa, Erik, Aleutian Starfire when its mentioned and Kirsten (Nik's new baby) Everything else belongs to the rightful owners. I make no money from this, its pure entertainment!

A/N: I keep messing up the spelling of Nik's new baby, but her name is KIRSTEN, lol. Anyway, I'm hoping you all like this chapter, I wasn't real sure what to do with it. It just kind of tumbled out and I let it do what it wanted to do, my muses had complete control over this one, lol. Thanks for all the reviews and please stay tuned for more!

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Phil had managed to get Bren warmed up a little more, her lips a soft pink now instead of the blue they'd been when he found her. The kiss they had shared earlier was still weighing heavily on his mind, he didn't regret it for a second, he was just curious now. She was young and beautiful, a woman who still had endless possibilities ahead of her in life. For the life of him, he just couldn't understand her attraction to him at all. Sighing a bit, he closed his eyes and rested his head against hers to get some rest while he could.

Even though she appeared to be asleep, Bren was wide awake in Phil's arms, her hands gripping his shirt tightly. She had been awake for a while now, hearing the violent coughing that wracked his body over and over again. Concern for him was heavy on her mind, something was wrong with him and he wasn't admitting to it. He was a stubborn man and she knew he didn't want to worry anyone or get pity from them either.

She knew she could have died out here, but right now she didn't care about that, Phil needed medical attention. It was clear to her the second she'd heard the coughs, and she'd faintly tasted blood from his lips during their kiss. Her heart was racing because she knew that being out here like this wasn't helping whatever condition he had. Shifting a bit, she snuggled closer to him until she was comfortable, resting comfortably against him.

Sig, Andy and Jonathan were leading the search for Brenna and Phil, but Josh was right in the middle of all the decisions. The crews had spread out in teams of four to cover a little more ground and hopefully find her faster. "We've checked the normal path completely, she had to of went off of it during the storm." Jonathan said as they all met back up to review their options, but Sig was already ahead of them. "If she went off the path, the only place she could have gotten lost is back there where the path splits off."

They looked at him and then everyone followed after the Norwegian captain, he'd never been wrong about something like this before. And sure enough, a few minutes onto the new trail, Josh happened to spot the snowmobile. "Over here! This is where Bren went over, the snowmobile is down there." Sig rushed over and then found the way down, checking out the area around the vehicle. "If you were a woman, where would you go after wrecking a snowmobile out in the middle of, seemingly, nowhere?" Andy asked as he looked around at the crews and captains.

"You would go the way that had the least resistance for you, especially after taking a fall like that." Josh said as he looked at Andy. They all nodded and then headed in the direction that both Phil and Bren had went in. Sig and the other captains kept glancing at the sky, it was signaling that another storm would be blowing in soon. Which only meant that they needed to find the two missing people and get them back to Dutch Harbor as soon as possible.

Bren tensed up as Phil went through another round of coughing, her heart clenching in her chest at the harsh sound. She couldn't help but worry even more, finally opening her eyes and looking up at the seasoned captain. Doing her best to sit up a bit, she looked down into his face, reaching out and gently smoothing away the frown. Her fingers traced along his jaw, imprinting his features into her mind like she thought she would never see him again.

Moving her hand back up, she slowly raked her fingers through his dark brown and slightly grayed hair. It didn't bother her in the least, the flecks of gray in his hair only made her more drawn to him for some reason. Normally she wouldn't have looked twice at a man over forty-five, if that, but she didn't care how old he was, it didn't matter in the least. All that mattered was that she felt something when she was near him, but she didn't, and couldn't, name it just yet.

Feeling the soft touches, Phil's eyes opened and his eyes showed confusion until he met her eyes, and then his gaze softened. Her breath caught in her throat at the look in his eyes, so full of pain and a loneliness that even his boys didn't know about. After a moment, her gaze grew soft, concerned, as let her hand rest, cupping his cheek gently. "Don't look at me like that, Brenna. I don't need you worrying about me when you are the one who almost died out here."

Sighing softly, she let her hand fall to rest on his shoulder, "You've been coughing so much, and so badly, Phil. Something is wrong and I'm worried for you." He leaned up a bit, guarding the look in his eyes as he watched her. "Its nothing to worry about, the only thing that matters is getting you out of here and taken care of." Irritation was starting to wear on her nerves, she knew there was more to the story than what he was letting on. Something was wrong and he was doing everything in his power to keep it hidden from everyone around him.

She had been ready to say something else, but the sound of voices near them made her stop, peering out into the snowy area. Phil heard them too and moved, getting out from under the outcropping and standing to his feet. The sight of his crew, and the entire crews of the Northwestern and the Time Bandit greeted him. A rescue had been expected, but he hadn't ever thought that all of them would be out here looking, it almost made him smile at the thought.

Josh and Jake broke away from the group and ran to him, hugging him tightly when they reached their father. Laughing softly, Phil hugged them back and then let go, moving to the side to reveal Bren, who was watching quietly. Sig and Edgar knelt down and carefully moved her out from under the outcropping of rocks. "Are you alright Brenna? Can you stand up?" Edgar asked as he kept a firm hold on her arm just in case she were to fall.

"I haven't tried to stand up yet, so I don't know." She said as the two Hansen's nodded and then slowly lifted her up to her feet. Her world moved and Bren closed her eyes quickly, shaking Sig off of her and turning to the side to throw up. Edgar winced at the sight and let her sink to her knees, holding her long hair back away from her face. He gently rubbed her back in a soothing way, her throwing up like this was not a very good sign.

When she thought she would be ok, she let Edgar help her back to her feet, leaning heavily against him with her eyes closed. Phil watched but didn't say anything, he knew if he said anything, he would draw attention to his feelings for her. She took one step and stumbled, but Edgar kept her from falling and then lifted her up into his arms. "No offense Brenna, but you aren't walking back, I'll carry you this time and you can hit me for it later if you want to."

Everyone laughed, including Phil and Bren, as they started back toward Dutch, Phil walking beside Edgar. Most of the guys were up ahead talking and laughing now that the both of them had been found. Sig, Phil, Edgar and Bren were in the back, staying quiet and occasionally casting glances at each other. It was easy to tell that they all knew what was going on here, not just with her, but with Phil's health as well, though they knew better than to say anything right now.

Biting her lower lip softly, Bren risked a glance in Phil's direction to see him looking at her, their eyes meeting in an intense gaze. She felt herself blush and quickly looked away, closing her eyes and resting her head against Edgar's shoulder. Sig noticed the exchange between the two of them and bit his lip to keep from smiling. He remembered being in that situation, those two were in love and there was no way around it, they would have to face it eventually, no matter how much they might not want to.


	8. Falling Apart

A little more than an hour later, Sig, Jake and Josh had Phil and Bren at a hospital to be examined, much to Phil's annoyance

A little more than an hour later, Sig, Jake and Josh had Phil and Bren at a hospital to be examined, much to Phil's annoyance. Sig had carried Bren into the hospital, laying her down on a hospital bed and smiling at her reassuringly. The Cornelia Marie captain was still putting up a fuss about not wanting to get onto one of the beds because he could walk just fine. Feeling her temper rise, Bren closed her eyes and counted to ten before turning her gaze to Phil, "For the sake of your boys, Phil, just get in that bed and let them check you out."

Jake and Josh looked at Bren and laughed at the look on Phil's face since she'd just all but ordered him to comply with her wishes. Looking in her direction, he mumbled something, but finally got on the bed and crossed his arms over his chest. Jake laughed and shook his head, "Man, dad, she's got you completely whipped!" Phil glared at Jake, warning him to keep his mouth shut, eyeing Bren warily before they were taken away in opposite directions.

Once they were out of earshot, Sig put his hands in his pockets and then looked over at the two Harris boys. "You two need to tread lightly when it comes to Phil and Bren. Don't go off playing matchmaker either, or I'll send Nik after you." At the mention of having the former Captain angry at them, both of them went a little pale and nodded quickly. Turning around to hide the grin on his face, Sig threw up his hand and started down the hallway. "I'll be going to see Nik now, you two find something productive to do for a while."

In her room, Bren was managing to tolerate the doctors with a certain amount of patience that she didn't know she had. Her mind wasn't really on the doctors; she was too worried about Phil to really care what they were doing with her. Something had to be wrong with him, coughing up blood wasn't something to be taken lightly at all. Sighing a bit, she cut her eyes over at the doctors, willing them to hurry up and leave her the heck alone.

"I want to see Phil Harris when we're done here." She said as she looked at who she assumed to be the head doctor. He looked at her for a moment and then went back to reading over the folder in his hands. Grumbling to herself, Bren huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, if they wouldn't let her see him, they would see just how angry she could become. That or she would have to use physical force to make them see the error of their ways.

When they finally left her alone, Bren could swear that her blood pressure was through the roof, she hated people touching her, period. Thankfully, they had left her in her t-shirt and a pair of soft, cotton workout pants, along with her socks. Sitting up a bit, she looked at the clock in her room, drumming her fingers on her leg. She wanted to go and see how Phil was doing; it was driving her crazy to be sitting here and not knowing how he was.

Over in Phil's room, he was biting his tongue to keep from yelling at anyone, knowing his blood pressure was outrageous. He was tired though, and that made him more irritated with the whole situation, and he really wanted a cigarette. His mind kept drifting back to Bren, wondering if she was alright where she was. Thinking about her made him relax and be calmer than he had been before, she had that uncanny ability to make everything alright again.

Sighing, he leaned back against the bed and looked up at the pure white ceiling, it was too clean in hospitals. It was like they weren't really real, something that clean just didn't belong in the world of a crabber. "Mr. Harris?" The voice of the doctor broke him out of his thinking and he looked over at the young doctor. "So what's the verdict now?" He said as he crossed his arms over his chest, clearly not in the mood for this stuff today.

"There was a blood clot in your leg that traveled up and through your heart, it is a miracle you even survived. If it happens again, your chances of survival are nearly non-existent. We'll be putting you on some medication and you should also stop smoking to lower the risk." Like that was good news, he could handle medicine, but smoking was a different story. Rubbing a hand over his face, Phil looked over at the doctor, "There's a woman I came in here with, Brenna Kinkaid, I want to see her and I want to see her right now."

The doctor shook his head and slid his hands into the doctor's coat he was wearing, "I'm afraid I can't allow that right now. You are in no condition for visitors, and I don't believe she is either." Feeling his temper flare, Phil shot the man a glare, "You obviously weren't listening, it wasn't a question, it was a demand. I want to see her, now." Shaking his head again, the doctor walked to the door of the room and opened it, stepping out into the hallway, "You'll be able to see her when you are both in a more stable condition."

Before Phil could open his mouth, the door closed and he glared at it, he didn't like being told he couldn't do something. A cough rattled him and he closed his eyes, leaning back against the bed to ease the strain. It had been bad, but he had survived it, there would be medications for him to take, but none of that comforted him. All he wanted to do was to get up out of the hospital bed and go in search of Brenna, wherever she was right now.

Back in her room, Brenna had gotten her IV hooked up to one of the rolling carriers and had gotten out of her bed. With a determined look on her face, she left her hospital room and started down the hallway. One of the nurses ran over and grabbed her arm, but she turned her head and glared at her so heatedly that the nurse let go and backed away from her. Looking back down the hall, she kept walking, checking the names on the outside of the rooms to find Phil. If they wouldn't take her to him, then she was just going to find him herself.

It didn't take her long to find his room, but there was a nurse and a doctor standing outside the door talking. Getting a determined look on her face, she walked up to them and narrowed her eyes, "I want to see him, and I do mean right now." The doctor and nurse turned to her with shocked looks, the nurse rushing to her side, "Miss Kinkaid, you shouldn't be out of bed!" Clamping down on her anger, Bren looked at the nurse and shrugged her hands off of her arm, "If you tell me what I need to do, or keep me from going in there, someone will be hurt, and it won't be me!"

Shoving the doctor out of the way of the door, she reached out and opened it, only to have them grip her arms. Her eyes flashed and she reached around, undoing her IV from the drip and then jerked her arm free of the nurse. As soon as her right arm was free, she swung at the doctor, hitting his left cheek very solidly, making him let go of her. "When I say I'm going to see him, then damnit that means I'm going to do just that! Now back the hell off and let me talk to him!"

Pushing the IV carrier into the room, she turned and slammed the door behind her, just daring them to come and get her. Mumbling to herself, she looked over at the bed to see Phil sitting there in a hospital gown, wide eyed. Picking up the IV line, she placed it back into the hook-up on her arm and then went over to his bed. With a sigh of irritation, she sat down beside him and ran a hand through her hair to calm herself before she looked up into his eyes.

Phil was shocked to see this side of her, and he didn't say anything right off, watching her as she came to sit beside him. Crossing his arms over his chest, he met her gaze and then leaned back, "What are you doing out of bed?" Raising an eyebrow, she sat there for a moment and just looked at him, "I came to see you because I was worried, is that a crime?" His eyes darkened when she spoke, "Its not a crime, but you nearly froze to death out there, you need to be in a bed somewhere!"

Anger washed over Bren at his words and she stood up quickly, her long hair flowing around her with the movement. "Well you know what, Mr. Harris, I happened to be worried about you! But I can see that my concern is ill placed!" They were both angry, and her yelling back at him only made things worse than they had been in the first place. "What happens to me doesn't matter, I don't know what made you so stupid as to leave that bed to come here!"

Gritting her teeth, she glared straight at him with all the anger she was feeling at that very moment in time. "Well fine then! I'll just go back to my own room and leave you the hell alone! Goodbye, Mr. Harris!" Opening the door, she walked out and jerked it closed so hard that when it slammed, the sound echoed through the hall making some people jump. She caught sight of Nik, Sig, Jake and Josh standing there staring at her with wide eyes and opened mouths.

"What the hell are you all looking at?!" She snapped before turning and storming back down the hallway toward her room. Sig looked slightly confused as he watched her, Nik sitting in a wheelchair holding Kirsten, her face pale from what she'd just seen and heard. Jake and Josh were just staring after Brenna, not quite sure what had happened to piss her off so badly. Clearing his throat, Sig looked down at Nik, "Maybe now isn't the best time to see Phil or Brenna, I think they need some time to cool off before they have visitors."

Nik snapped her head over to look at her husband and she frowned a bit, "I don't know what happened here, but I don't like it one bit." The Norwegian nodded and put his hands on his wife's shoulders to soothe her ruffled feathers. She hated for people to be fighting, and would do anything she could to stop it from happening again. Problem was, feelings had been seriously hurt in this fight, and there was no way for Nik to help. This would have to be worked out between Phil and Brenna, getting anyone else involved would only cause more problems.


	9. Leaving

Disclaimer: I only own Nik (Nikolina), Bren (Brenna), Christa, Erik, Aleutian Starfire when its mentioned and Kirsten (Nik's new baby) Everything else belongs to the rightful owners. I make no money from this, its pure entertainment!

A/N: This chapter slapped me in the face all of a sudden and my muses made me write it. I know everyone is kind of freaked out by the last chapter, but I hope this makes it a little better! Thanks for all the reviews and please stay tuned for more!

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Bren was released the next day and left without a word to anyone, taking a small boat back to Dutch Harbor. She felt like crap, and she was still fuming mad over the fight she'd had with Phil the day before. Sliding her hands into the pockets of her jeans, she walked along the dock, pausing to glance up at the Cornelia Marie. Narrowing her eyes, she forced herself to ignore the tug at her heart, walking on by the boat and stepping off the dock into the snow.

Out of nowhere, Christa ran up to her and wrapped her up in a tight hug, shocking Bren out of her thoughts. Laughing softly, she returned the hug and then looked at the blond woman, "Hello to you too, Christa. Don't worry, I'm alright, I promise." Stepping back, Christa smiled and nodded, "Good to hear that, I was just so worried about you." Smiling, Bren shrugged her shoulders a bit and then shifted from one foot to the other, "No need to worry, I was rescued because of you, and I appreciate that."

Holding up her hands, the blond woman blushed a bit, "I just came to get the men, they're the ones who did the rescuing." Nodding, Bren looked at her and then out at the harbor with a soft sigh, watching the water ripple. Sensing that something was wrong, Christa walked over and put her hand on Bren's shoulder. "Penny for your thoughts, Bren?" Glancing over, the dark haired woman shook her head and closed her eyes. "I know I said I would be here for three months to help out, but I'm going to have to break that promise."

Christa looked shocked as she turned Bren to face her, resting her hands on the taller woman's shoulders. "What do you mean? You aren't leaving are you?" Gently, Bren stepped back, out of her grasp, and looked down at the ground. "Yeah, I don't belong up here, I've figured that out the hard way. I'm a Texan, snow just isn't my forte." Opening her mouth to speak, Christa paused and thought carefully before sighing, "I'm not upset with you, but you don't know if you belong here or not, it was just a little accident. You are welcome here and everyone who's met you already loves you to death."

Looking away from Christa, Bren focused on the water in the harbor again, making herself remain calm through this. "It's not the accident, and its not you either, Christa. There's just….well…I know when I'm not wanted around." Andy walked up to them carrying Bren's bags, holding them out to her with a sad smile on his face. She nodded to him and took her bags, putting one of them over her shoulder, "Thanks for getting the stuff, Andy. I'd say I'll see you all again soon, but I wouldn't count on it."

Turning away from them, she walked toward the ferry that was waiting to carry her back to the mainland. Christa started to go after her, but Andy put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head, "You have to let her go, Christa." Watching Bren step onto the ferry, Christa just didn't understand what was going on here. "Andy, she can't just leave, we all love her here. I don't understand why she would just leave like this." He hesitated before letting out a sigh, "She fell for Phil, hard, and they had a pretty big fight at the hospital yesterday."

Her eyes going wide, Christa whirled around to look up at him, "She's in love with Phil? Phil Harris?" He nodded and crossed his arms over his chest, "Sig said that they were yelling at each other, and then Bren snapped. He said that Nik had never seen her so mad before." Shaking her head, she turned back to the ferry, looking at Bren sitting alone, looking over the rail into the water of Dutch Harbor. "I don't understand it, Andy…how can she leave the man she loves…?"

Shrugging his shoulders, he watched as the ferry got further and further away, "She's hurt, and staying here will make her think of him, and she'll hurt worse." Jonathan walked up and put an arm around Christa's shoulders, pulling her close to his side. "Don't worry, if it was meant to be, they'll get together again, but we can't get involved this time. This isn't like Sig and Nik, these two have to work things out between them, alone."

Phil was just being release from the hospital with strict orders to go straight home and start taking care of himself. He wasn't about to listen to that though, not with the season already started, all of them had a job to do, and he was going to do his. Just as he finished signing the papers for his release, he saw Nik walk up to him, cradling Kirsten in her arms. "Phil, I'm not here to give you a lecture, but there is something you should know."

"Alright Nik, what is it?" He asked as he put his hands in his pockets, watching her with heavily guarded eyes. "I talked to Andy earlier, as soon as Bren got back to Dutch, she took her things and left, she's not coming back." She watched as emotion flickered in his eyes, but he hid it away again and then shrugged his shoulders. "She's better off back in Texas anyway, she doesn't belong out here in a place like this anyway." Nik's eyes flashed and she narrowed her eyes at him, "I don't know if you're more stubborn or stupid, but you love that woman and you're just letting her walk away."

Shaking his head, Phil turned around and started for the exit, "I don't love her and she doesn't love me, just forget about it Nik. Congratulations on the baby…" Before she could say anything, he was out the door of the hospital and walking away. Nik was shocked at his words, staring after him helplessly, "How wrong you are Phil…you two do love each other…" Glancing down at Kirsten, she kissed her forehead and then turned away from the door.

Sig met his wife when she turned around, having heard the whole exchange between her and Phil, knowing it had her upset. Opening his arms for her, he pulled her and his daughter close, "I told you to let them work it out, sweetheart. Only they can fix this, not us." She nodded and then sighed tiredly, glancing over at Edgar, who was carrying Erik in his arms. Smiling softly, Nik kissed her son's forehead and then walked with Sig and Edgar out of the hospital to go back to Dutch Harbor.

Jake and Josh Harris had been in hospital, and had heard everything that had just been said, glancing over at each other. Getting a thoughtful look on his face, Jake looked at his brother, "We've got to get them back together again." Nodding, Josh agreed with his younger brother, thinking for a moment, "We have to deal with the season first, but after that, its time to act." They look at each other and made a silent vow to take this matter into their own hands as soon as the fishing season was over and they could get back to Dutch.


	10. The Plan

Disclaimer: I only own Nik (Nikolina), Bren (Brenna), Christa, Erik, Aleutian Starfire when its mentioned and Kirsten (Nik's new baby) Sasha and Freckles are also mine. Everything else belongs to the rightful owners. I make no money from this, its pure entertainment!

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Two months later, Bren was still thinking back to Dutch Harbor, she couldn't get it, or Phil, out of her head. It was five in the morning, her most favorite time of that day, when everything was peaceful and perfectly silent. Walking into her kitchen with bare feet, she poured herself a cup of coffee before shuffling through the house toward the front door. A soft bark came from her left and she smiled, "Shush up Sasha, its just me." Shaking her head, she walked on outside on her front porch, sitting down on the swing there and pulling her knees up to her chest.

Sasha came out from the house and settled herself at Bren's feet without a sound, silently protecting her master. On the outside it looked like Bren was doing fine, but on the inside she was completely torn up. Leaving Phil had nearly shattered her heart into a million pieces, she loved him and had just up and left. She was sticking by her decision though, she wouldn't go back to Dutch Harbor ever again because she didn't belong there. This was her world, hot summer days, balmy summer nights, wide open spaces to ride horses, yeah, this was her world.

Out of the silence, her phone started ringing and Bren nearly leapt straight off the swing at the sudden noise. Putting her feet down, she stepped around Sasha and into the house, walking into the kitchen and picking up her phone. Clicking it on, she sat down at one of the counter stools, "Hello?" There was a pause on the other end of the line and Bren's heart clenched, thinking it was Phil. "Brenna? Its Josh Harris." Well, it wasn't Phil, but she'd been close, "Hello Josh. May I ask why you're calling so early and how you got this number in the first place?"

He laughed and Bren found herself smiling even though she didn't want to, taking a drink of her coffee. "I got it from Nik's cell phone, just don't tell her or she'll kill me. And I'm calling early because I need to talk to you." Concern washed over Bren and she closed her eyes, she couldn't just ignore him when he needed to talk to her. "Alright, Josh. You obviously risked a lot to get my number and to call me, so, whats going on?" She heard him shuffle around and then sit down somewhere, assuming he'd went for privacy.

"Dad is in love with you." He sounded so sure of that statement, and it only made Bren want to hang up the phone. Tears stung her eyes and she struggled to control herself, "There's nothing between us, Josh. I'm sorry but I'm not coming back, I'm happy where I am." He cursed softly and then shook his head a bit, "You two don't get it, you love each other, you can't just stay away like this!" Gathering her courage, even as tears streamed down her cheeks, Bren managed to find her voice, "Josh, I don't love him, I'm sorry if that's not what you want to hear."

"You're crying right now, I can hear it, and that's a lie. I know you love him, you just won't admit it." He said softly, causing Bren's tears to flow faster, her heart breaking all over again, "Just…don't call again, Josh. Goodbye." Quickly, she hung up the phone and moved away from it, tears blurring her vision as she wrapped her arms around herself. Turning, she ran into her room and tugged her pajamas off, pulling on a pair of old jeans and a short sleeved, flannel, button up shirt.

She pulled her hair up into a low ponytail and then put her cowboy hat on, pulling some socks on and then picking up her boots. Once she was fully dressed, she grabbed her house keys and went outside as the phone started ringing again. Locking the door, she went across the yard to the stables and opened the doors. Pausing to pick up a bridle and her favorite saddle and blanket, she went along the horse stalls until she came to the last one in the row.

Carefully, she put her saddle and other things down before opening the stall door and reaching out her hand. "Its alright Freckles, its just me." The horse nudged her hand with it's muzzle and then stepped into the touch, making Bren smile through her tears. Reaching down, she picked up the bridle and carefully slipped it on, petting and encouraging the horse the whole time. It didn't take her long before she had the saddle on as well, being gentle and loving the entire time.

Lifting her left leg, she placed her foot in the stirrup and then lifted herself up, swinging her right leg over and settling into the saddle. Clicking her tongue, Freckles obeyed the command and walked out of the stall and then out of the stable into the cool morning air. She tossed her head a bit and lightly pawed at the ground, waiting for Bren's instructions. Wiping her tears on her shirt, Bren lightly patted her neck before sitting up straight, "Alright Freckles, lets get going." Barely nudging the horse in the sides, Freckles reared up and then took off galloping toward the open land around Bren's house.

Josh cursed as he tried to call Bren back, but she wasn't answering, Jake was sitting near him shaking his head. "Come on Josh, she's not going to answer, we've got to get them together somehow, it's the only way." Looking at his younger brother, Josh finally put the phone down and leaned back in his chair, "How are we going to do that? Dad won't go if he knows we're going to see Brenna." Jake thought for a moment and then smiled, "We'll just convince him to take a vacation, he doesn't know exactly where she lives, so he won't know until we get to her."

The brothers smiled at each other and then jumped up, grabbing duffle bags and starting to pack their things. Josh paused and then went to his computer, looking up an airline and then finding tickets, getting three of them before going back to packing. "You really think dad will go on such short notice?" Jake asked as he finished putting stuff in his bag and zipped it up. Josh turned to look at his younger brother and grinned, "Dad will go anywhere we ask him to, and besides, he can't argue the fact that I already got tickets."


	11. Texas Vacation

A few hours later, Jake and Josh had their dad in a rental car and were driving down the road that would lead them straight to Bren. They had managed to convince him to come with them for a short vacation, thought it wasn't really a vacation. All they had to do was get him to Bren's place and make them sit down and talk to each other. Not that it was going to be easy, but that was all part of the fun of doing this in the first place.

Phil was sitting in the passenger seat with Josh driving, the boys had seemed anxious to go on this trip, so he'd agreed. Just being here in Texas was making him think of Bren, and it made him tense and on edge about it. Looking out the window, he took out a cigarette and lit it, taking a long drag off of it before blowing the smoke back out. It seemed like they were in the middle of nowhere, he hadn't seen a house or anything for miles and miles now.

"Are you sure you aren't lost?" He asked as he looked over at Josh with a questioning glance. Josh laughed and nodded, "I'm positive we're not lost. I know exactly where we're going, don't worry so much dad, just enjoy the ride." Shaking his head a bit, Phil leaned back in the seat to relax, he didn't like not being in charge of something. He had no idea where they were taking him for this vacation, and wasn't even sure he wanted to be here.

The problem was that he would do anything for his boys to make them happy, and spending time with them was important. Lifting his eyes to the rear view mirror, Josh locked eyes with Jake, silently plotting what they were going to do when they got to Bren's house. Jake grinned from the back seat and turned the volume up on his iPod, drumming his fingers on his knee to the beat. When their dad realized what they were doing, he'd strangle them, but they hoped Bren would at least be on their side.

Seeing the turn for Bren's ranch house, Josh turned onto the road and went up the driveway, parking the car next to Bren's truck. Turning the car off, he stepped out and closed the door behind him, pausing to look around the area. Jake got out of the car and closed his door, walking around the car to where his brother was. "Its not too bad out here, not a neighbor for miles and miles." They both laughed and then looked at Phil as he got out of the car and looked around a bit, "What is this place and why are we here?"

Before either of them could answer, hoof beats were heard coming toward them at a fast pace, and they turned to see what was going on. Josh's mouth fell open when he saw her riding toward them on a pure black stallion. She hadn't noticed them yet, her eyes closed as she felt the warm air flow around her from the speed she was riding at. Her flannel shirt was put in her saddle bag and she was left in a thin strap, white shirt. Jake was staring, not daring to say a word though, he was too scared to make Phil mad by saying something about her.

Sweat was running down her arms and the back of her neck, making her tanned skin glisten in the midday sunshine. Her hair was down now and was flowing behind her beneath the cowboy hat on her head, giving her a nostalgic look. Phil was the last to turn and look in her direction, feeling his heart stop at the sight that greeted him. He'd seen plenty of beautiful women in his life, but he swore he'd never seen one as beautiful as she was right at that moment, and it made his mouth go dry.

Bren pulled back on the reigns and Freckles reared up on her back legs with a soft whinny. When the horse reared back, Bren moved with her so she didn't fall off, her eyes catching sight of the car first. The next thing she saw was the brothers, a shocked look appearing on her face before she looked over and locked eyes with Phil. Her heart tightened painfully and she felt like she couldn't breathe, her hands gripping the leather reigns tightly.

"What are you doing here…?" She asked in a low voice as she leaned her arms on the saddle horn and looked at the three of them. Jake opened his mouth to speak, but Josh beat him to it, "You two needed to talk, so we brought you together." Shaking her head, Bren shifted in the saddle, "There's nothing to talk about, and I have work that needs doing, goodbye." Licking her lips a bit, she whistled lightly and Freckles moved into a trot toward the stables.

Phil watched her for a second and then looked straight at his sons, walking over to their side of the car and crossing his arms. "Is this your idea of fun? I don't know what you two were thinking by brining me here, we're going home right now." Josh put a hand on Phil's shoulder and sighed a bit, "Dad, you've barely said anything to anyone since the fight at the hospital. You and Brenna really do need to talk about what's going on between you two."

Resisting the urge to strangle his kids, Phil raked a hand through his hair and then started off across the yard to the stables. Inside, Bren was finished putting Freckles away and was putting her riding gear back into its proper place. Phil paused in the doorway and watched her quietly, his boys had a point, he had missed her so much. Sensing someone was watching her, she turned around and faced Phil, sighing softly as she hung the bridle up.

"Phil, you should just go, I can't deal with you right now." She said softly as she went to slip by him to go to the house. He stopped her by sliding an arm around her waist and pulling her back to him, his eyes meeting with hers. She blushed and then looked away from him, moving to try and step out of his arms, but he was holding her tightly. "They're right about what they said, you and I do need to talk. We've been living a lie since the day you left Dutch Harbor."

Bren opened her mouth to say something, but Phil cut her off with a kiss, sliding his fingers through her long hair. She melted into his kiss, returning it with one of her own before slowly pulling back from him. "I know…and you're right…we do need to talk." He nodded and let her go, taking her hand and leading her out of the stables toward the house. Glancing up at him, she admitted to herself how much she'd missed him, but for now they needed to work things out between them.


	12. Walking Away Again

A/N: I know I did it again, don't kill me! I promise it WILL get worked out, really it will! You'll see!

* * *

Bren and Phil were standing in her kitchen on opposite sides of the counter, not really looking at each other. She was staring into her glass of water, not able to make herself look at him right now, she knew she would give in if she looked at him again. The anger was still there for her, and she wasn't about to let go of it yet. His reaction to her at the hospital had been far from what she'd wanted, and it had hurt her deeper than she thought at first. If it meant being selfish and holding onto her anger for a while longer, then she would do it just to let him see how much it hurt her.

Sliding the glass away from herself, she sighed heavily and then gathered enough courage to look up at him. "I said we would talk, but it won't change anything. The day I left was the day I put Dutch Harbor and crabbers behind me for good." Her voice was even and didn't reveal any of the pain she was feeling in her heart. Phil lifted his head and looked over at her, his blue eyes looking straight at her, but they were just as guarded as her own green eyes.

He watched her, looking for any sign that would say otherwise, but he found nothing, not that he ever expected to see anything. "So that's your final decision on it then?" She nodded firmly and crossed her arms over her chest, leaning her hip against the counter. "I made a mistake by going there in the first place, its not my world." Her tone was passive, but that was far from how she was feeling in her heart, she wanted to hug him close, kiss him and beg him not to leave Texas.

Putting his glass down, he turned to leave the kitchen, glancing back at her over his shoulder, his heart begging him not to go. "You're right, you don't belong there, its best you left when you did." The words hit her hard and Bren felt herself fall apart inside, but she held up her strong front. Placing her hands on her slim hips, she looked away from him like she didn't even care. "Well, there's nothing keeping you here, so go back to Dutch Harbor."

Forcing herself to move from the spot, Bren brushed by him and went out onto the side porch, Sasha following her out. "Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out, _Captain _Harris." Her voice was tinged with anger, but she didn't look back at him even once. The depth of her anger and pain revealed itself to Phil in those words, and he regretted ever speaking them. Not about to show weakness, he left the kitchen and went out the front door without a word.

Jake had been sitting on the front porch, jumping up from his chair when his father came back outside, a hopeful smile on his face. One look at Phil's face made the smile disappear, "What happened, dad?" Glancing at his youngest son, Phil shrugged his shoulders and then went down the steps, heading toward the car. It had been a long time since Jake had seen his father so upset, but then again, he hadn't seen how Bren was either.

Turning around, he stepped into the house and looked around for her, spotting her out on the side porch leaning against the railing. Slowly, he walked to the doorway and then stepped outside with her, putting a hand on her shoulder. Feeling the hand, Bren turned around quickly, tears running down her cheeks even though she tried not to cry. Jake looked at her for a few seconds and then jerked her into a tight hug, resting her head against his shoulder.

Bren lost it then and started to cry against his shoulder, her hands clinging tightly to the back of the shirt he was wearing. Closing his eyes, Jake stroked her hair and let her cry, not saying anything at all, because words wouldn't help when they were from him. He didn't know what possessed him to come to her like this, but he wanted her to be happy, with his dad. "Please don't cry, Brenna. You're too nice to be crying like this." His voice was soft, and he hoped that he was comforting her in some way, hating to see her so sad.

Josh came across his brother and Bren, instantly getting concerned when he saw that she was crying. Coming up onto the porch, he looked at Jake and then at her before putting a hand on her shoulder, "Bren?" She looked over at him and slowly pulled herself away from Jake, trying to get herself under control. "I'm fine, but you two should go with him." The younger of the two nodded and gave her a light smile before walking off of the porch and heading toward the car.

Looking back at her, Josh brought her into his arms for a soft hug, folding his arms around her as gently as he could. Bren let him hug her, returning it with one of her own, they made her heart break even further than it already was. They loved their dad so much, but they also cared for her or they wouldn't have done all this. Josh tilted his head and squeezed her tightly in his arms, "I won't let you give up on him, not now, or ever. When love is involved, there will always be a way, no matter what gets said or done between two people."

He released her and then turned, heading toward the car where Phil and Jake were waiting, leaving her staring after him. Turning away, she walked back into the house, hearing the car start and then pull out of the driveway. Pain hit her hard and Bren started to cry again, harder than before, hitting her knees while her heart broke. She wanted Phil Harris in her life, every single day of it, and more than anything right now, she wanted him in her arms where he belonged.


	13. Return To Dutch

Disclaimer: I own Nik, Bren, Christa, the Aleutian Starfire, Erik, Kirsten, Sasha, and Freckles. The rest of the people, places and things belong to their respective owners and I own nothing affiliated with them. No money is made from this at all, its just for pure entertainment only.

A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long, Phil was being a pain and not cooperating with me, but its all good now! the muses are back in business and I'm writing great again!

* * *

Phil and his crew on the Cornelia Marie had managed to hit a hot spot for the crab this season, meeting their quota with time to spare. He was as happy as he'd been in a while, since the day he'd met Brenna, really. All through the trip, his sons had begged him to call her or to write her a letter, something to let her know he really did care. Of course, he'd refused their begging and had given them the answer that when she turned him away in Texas, that was the final word, they were through. His heart, however, knew that was a lie, he still loved her, and missed her all the time.

Picking up the mic for the deck speakers, he clicked it on, "Alright boys, tie down those pots and lets go home!" The crew let out a collective cheer and worked to get the rest of the pots tied down so they could go home. Clicking the mic off, Phil laughed at his eager, but still tired and battered crew, they had earned their ticket home for sure. He wasn't as ready to head back as they were, going back to Dutch meant more memories of Bren, and more pain.

Glancing at the phone in his wheelhouse, he took out the slip of paper that Nik had given him before he'd left for the season. She'd written out Bren's phone numbers and her address, telling Phil to at least try and contact her. At the time, he'd just nodded to Nik and stuffed it in his pocket, now here it was in front of him. All he had to do was pick up the phone and call her, but that was easier said than done in his view.

Sighing heavily, he closed his eyes and an image of a smiling, laughing Bren was bought front and center. His heart tightened painfully in his chest and he clutched the slip of paper tighter, he wanted to hear her voice so badly. Just as he opened his eyes, a wave slammed into the boat and sent Phil hurtling out of his chair. His head slammed into the wall on the other side of the wheelhouse, rendering him completely unconscious.

Josh and the rest of the crew had managed not to be hurt, thankfully having the last of the pots securely tied down. Glancing up at the wheelhouse, he expected to see his dad looking to make sure everyone was alright, but he didn't see anything. Panic surged through him and he took off toward the wheelhouse as fast as he could. Sprinting into the room, he nearly tripped over his dad, heart skipping a beat in his chest before he managed to pull himself together.

Kneeling down, he checked for a pulse, thanking God above that his dad was still alive before he ran over to the radio. Picking up the mic with shaking hands, he clicked it on and turned it to an open channel for the Coast Guard. "Coast Guard, this is the Cornelia Marie, do you copy!" The channel was static for a few seconds before a reply came across. "Cornelia Marie, this is the US Coast Guard, what's your emergency?"

"This is Josh Harris, I'm Captain Phil's son. We got hit with a wave and it threw him across the wheelhouse, he's not waking up!" Josh's panic was clear, worried for his dad's life, they'd already come close to losing him once, he didn't want to live it again. "We're sending a chopper out to your location, ETA is twenty minutes." Hurriedly, Josh thanked them and then dropped the mic, running back over to Phil just as Jake came into the wheelhouse to see what was up.

Nik had been sitting in Christa's shop feeding Kirsten when she heard the Coast Guard report go out, gasping in surprise. Jumping to her feet, she quickly handed her baby to Christa and snatched up the mic, clicking it on in the same movement. "Sig, get on the mic right now!" She'd skipped the formality they normally used on the open channels, demanding to hear from her husband. Static filled her ears and then she heard it go quiet for a second. "Nik, sweetheart, you need to calm down, we know Phil's in trouble but we're nowhere near where he is, just calm down, honey."

"Don't you tell me to calm down, Sigurd Hansen! That's Bren's life out there, I want to know whats going on and I want to know NOW!" Cringing at the tone of his upset wife, Sig calmed his voice to try and reassure her. "They were hit with a wave, it threw Phil across the wheelhouse and he hit his head pretty hard, it knocked him out." Letting out a string of Norwegian cursing, Nik jerked a hand through her hair, "You keep Christa updated on everything that happens, I'm going to make a phone call right now!"

Before he had a chance to say anything, the mic went to static and he knew she'd taken off like a shot to the nearest phone. Leave it to his beautiful little wife to be worried and want to save everyone when she was stuck in Dutch Harbor. He smiled to himself and then sent up a silent prayer that the Coast Guard would get to Phil in time to help him. All he could think of was how he'd felt when he had heard Nik's mayday the day her boat sunk, his heart reached out to Bren's, she was going to find out very soon just how dangerous the sea was.

Nik ran to the Elbow Room and burst through the door, zipping over to the phone and grabbing it, turning it around. She dialed Bren's cell phone number as fast as she could, her heart hammering away in her chest as she listened to it ring. If there was ever a time she wanted someone to pick up on the second ring, it was right now. Slamming the phone down, she waited a second before picking it up again and dialing Bren's home phone number, listening to the ringing.

Hearing the phone ringing, Bren got up from the couch and shuffled into the kitchen, picking up the phone and putting it to her ear. She didn't have time to say hello before she heard Nik's voice, loud and clear over the phone. "Brenna, pack your bags and get up here, Phil's been in an accident on his way home from the season!" Fear slammed into Bren and she dropped the phone to the hardwood floor, effectively shattering it into pieces all over the floor.

Breaking into a run, she took her stairs two at a time and ran down the hallway to her room, sliding inside. Grabbing her duffle, she shoved clothes and a few other items into it before grabbing her keys and running back down. Jotting a quick note to her friend who was coming by later to take care of Sasha and the horses, she slammed the door and locked it. Running across the yard, she jumped in her truck and started it up, pulling out of the driveway in a rush.

Phil was in trouble and she couldn't just stay in Texas, no matter what she'd said, she loved him and had to get to him. Pressing the gas pedal down, she sped along the road that would lead her to the airport. Her hands were holding the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles were completely white, trying to keep the tears from her eyes. She was praying that she wouldn't wreck trying to get to the airport, and that Phil would be alright.

When she got to the airport, she jumped out of her truck and slammed the door, locking it before running toward the entrance. She didn't care that she was dressed in her white tank top stained with dirt like her jeans and boots were. People eyed her curiously as she ran to the counter and dropped her bag, "I need a ticket to Anchorage, Alaska and I need it right now!" The girl at the counter looked startled as she typed it in on her computer and then looked up at Bren, "There's one leaving right now, Miss."

"I'll take it!" She said hurriedly as she pulled out her credit card and slapped it on the counter, grabbing her bag in her hand. As soon as she had her ticket in hand, she scribbled her signature on the payment slip, shoved her car in her pocket and took off running. When she reached the gate, she thrust her ticket and other information at the attendant, waited until she checked it. The girl handed it back to her and Bren ran down the hallway and out to where the plane was, running up the steps and finding her seat.

Putting her bag in the compartment above her, she dropped into the seat and took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. Clicking her seatbelt on, she leaned over and rested her head on her knees and finally let her tears come. She was terrified that something would go wrong and Phil would die, all she wanted was to get there and see him. When he was in her arms where he belonged, then she could calm down and think rationally again, but until then, she knew she would be a nervous wreck.


	14. Reunited

Disclaimer: I own Nik, Bren, Christa, the Aleutian Starfire, Erik, Kirsten, Sasha, and Freckles. The rest of the people, places and things belong to their respective owners and I own nothing affiliated with them. No money is made from this at all, its just for pure entertainment only.

* * *

It was hours later when Bren arrived in Alaska, hopping a small plane to take her to the town there Phil was in the hospital. As soon as the plane had landed, she jumped off and took off running for the hospital in the distance. The snow and wind bit into her bare skin, but she didn't care, getting to Phil was all that mattered. All she could think about was getting to him, throwing her arms around and kissing him until he knew just how much she loved him.

When she reached the hospital, she zipped by the Cornelia Marie crew and the Northwestern crew without a thought. Sig's eyebrows shot up and he looked at his wife, who had a similar look on her face as she watched Bren. "Was my imagination acting up, or did Brenna just run by here in a tank top, in almost negative temperatures?" Nik asked as she looked up at her husband, who nodded a bit and then shrugged his shoulders, not knowing what to say about that one.

Jake and Josh exchanged excited looks of pure happiness when they saw Bren run into the hospital, knowing she couldn't stay away. When she reached the front desk, she dropped her bag and took a second to catch her breath. "Phil Harris, what room is he in?" One of the nurses looked up at her, eyeing the tank top before speaking, "Only family is allowed to visit him, I'm afraid you'll have to wait outside with the rest of them." Bren's eyes flashed fire and she growled low in her throat, saying the first thing that came to her mind, "He's my husband, and you will let me see him right this instant!"

The nurse's eyes went wide and she nodded quickly, "I-I'm sorry Mrs. Harris, he didn't tell us he was married." Putting her hands on her hips, Bren raised an eyebrow. "Well then, I'll deal with that when he's better, for now, take me to him!" Nodding again, the nurse scurried out from behind the desk and motioned for Bren to follow her down the hallway. Her heart was being wildly in her chest, she'd just claimed to be Phil's wife to get in a hospital room to see him.

Groaning in her head, she followed the nurse down the hallway to a room, stopping and nodding to her. "I can handle it from here, thank you." She said before opening the door and walking inside, closing it behind her. Turning around, she saw Phil on the bed and her heart shattered into a million pieces, tears coming to her eyes. Walking over, she sat down beside him and closed her eyes, taking his hand into hers and giving it a gentle squeeze.

Sliding her shoes off, she stood back up for a second, pulling off her tank top and jeans, pulling on a pair of black cotton pants and an oversized t-shirt. When she was changed, she climbed up onto the bed and slid down beside him. Resting her head on his shoulder, she put one arm around him and cried softly against him. She didn't like seeing him this way at all, he was too strong of a man to ever be looking as weak as he was now.

In the end, she cried herself to sleep beside him, one arm wrapped securely around him, fearful of letting go again. The nurses and doctors that came in to check on Phil didn't say anything to her or wake her, leaving her where she was. When the crews were finally able to come into the room, they were quiet so they didn't wake Bren. Jake and Josh were beaming when they saw her curled up at the dad's side, and Sig could have sworn that there were tears in his wife's eyes from the sight of them.

Phil finally started to come around some time the next morning, feeling a warm pressure at his left side that wasn't normal. Getting his eyes to cooperate with him, he managed to open them, his vision blurry for a minute. Blinking it away, he turned his head to look at his side and see what was there, his heart nearly stopping when he saw Bren. She was sleeping by his side, one of her arms wrapped around him, tear stains on her face from her earlier crying.

Shifting his right arm, he slid it around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him, closing his eyes at the sweet scent of her hair. Turning a bit, he looked down at her and used his left hand to brush the silky hair away from her face. Leaning down, he gently pressed his lips to hers in a soft kiss, his heart beating faster at the feel of her soft lips beneath his. He loved her so much it hurt, and for her to be here, he knew that she had to love him too.

Feeling lips on hers, Bren's eyes fluttered open in shock at first, but when Phil pulled back, she calmed instantly. Lifting her head, she looked at him, relief washing over her now that he was finally awake again. "Phil…I..I was so worried about you. I'm so sorry for everything I said, I…" He shook his head and silenced her with another kiss. She melted into his arms and kissed him back, sliding her figners gently through his hair.

He kissed her with all the love he had in his heart only for her, letting his actions speak for him and the way he felt. Bren shivered and then shifted a bit to lean over him so he wasn't straining to kiss her like he wanted to. His arms snaked around her waist and he pulled her closer, finally being back where he belonged, in her arms. She was feeling the same way he was, knowing that this was where she needed to be, held in his loving arms.

The door opened but neither of them realized it, too involved in their kiss to care or ever notice that they had an audience. Sig, Nik, Jake and Josh were standing just inside the door with wide eyes at the sight before them. Grinning, the two Harris boys let out an excited exclamation, making the couple jump and break their kiss. Bren was blushing as she sat up and looked at the four of them, Phil grinning widely, from ear to ear. Nik let out a laugh at the looks on their faces and then put her hands on her hips, "I should have known better than to leave you two alone."

Sig laughed and put his arm around his wife's shoulders, casting Phil a knowing look. "So, Mrs. Harris, did you sleep well?" Raising his eyebrows, Phil looked at Bren, who was blushing bright red. "Mrs. Harris? I didn't know we were married." He said as he watched her look down at him. "We're not, I told them I was your wife so I could get in here." Phil started laughing and pulled her back down beside him, shaking his head, "I should have known you'd find a way to get in when no one else could."


	15. Moving In

Phil was sitting at his kitchen table watching her zip around the house cleaning and rearranging things as she went

Phil was sitting at his kitchen table watching her zip around the house cleaning and rearranging things as she went. As soon as he'd been released from the hospital, he'd asked her to come home with him for a while. She'd agreed and had no problem at all with being there, except that she was constantly cleaning something. If it wasn't the kitchen, she was in the den cleaning up things around there, it was something he wasn't used to. Having a woman in his home was a good feeling, but her cleaning attacks were crazy sometimes.

Shaking his head with a grin, he lit a cigarette and took a draw off of it, noticing her turn to look at him. Seeing the look in her eyes, he consented and put the cigarette out before walking over to her and sliding his arms around her waist. Bren rolled her eyes and went to move away to continue cleaning, "I have to finish cleaning the rest of the house, Phil" He shook his head and lifted her off her feet until they were eye level, "Forget the house, its clean enough already."

When she opened her mouth to protest to that, he kissed her softly, it was the only way he'd found to keep her from arguing with him. It worked perfectly, causing her to melt into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He sat down with her in his arms, bringing her to sit on his lap, his arms keeping her pulled close to him. She broke their kiss and leaned back, eyeing him carefully, "Don't even think about it, there's work to be done around here, and we're not married yet either."

He grinned and pulled her into another kiss, reaching up to start slowly sliding the buttons of her shirt free of their hold. Her hands were trying to push his away, but he continued with what he was doing, moving his lips down to her neck. She gasped softly and tilted her head back, sliding her hands into his hair, letting her eyes fall closed. It was all she could do not to shiver uncontrollably, but when he bit down where her neck and shoulder met, she squeaked in surprise, "Phil!"

Laughing softly, he leaned back to look at her, inspecting the mark on her neck with a mischievous grin. "I think it looks good there, that way everyone knows your mine." Blushing, Bren felt her neck and then looked down at him, "You are such a teenager sometimes, they're never going to let me off the hook if they see this!" Shrugging his shoulders, Phil leaned back in, despite her attempts to stop him, succeeding in making the mark more noticeable against her tan skin.

Bren was about to get onto him for it again, but his lips covered hers in a soft kiss, robbing her of her ability to speak. His hands moved to her shoulders and he pushed the shirt off of her, feeling her tense up. Just as he had pulled her closer, the front door slammed open and she jumped back, pulling her shirt on and buttoning it up. Jake and Josh walked into the den and looked at their dad and then at Bren, who was blushing bright red.

Josh laughed and walked over to a chair, sitting down and looking at her, "Nice mark you've got there, Brenna." She glared at him and then shot Phil a warning look before making a quick escape into the kitchen. The two boys were grinning as they looked at their dad, who was laughing softly at Bren's hasty retreat. Jake sat down beside Josh and put his arms behind his head, "We forgot to knock, hope we didn't interrupt anything."

Phil rolled his eyes at his youngest and then picked his cigarette back up, lighting it again and taking a drag. "There was nothing to interrupt, she's put her foot down about a lot of things since she came here." Josh raised an eyebrow and leaned his arms on his knees, "You're letting a woman run the house and everything that goes along with it?" When Phil nodded, Josh started laughing, shaking his head a bit, "You're so in love with her you can't see straight, dad. Ask her to marry you already, I don't know what you two are waiting for."

Jake nodded in agreement to his brother's statement, "He's got a point dad, she's perfect for you and you're in love." Phil rolled the thought around in his head, he'd seriously considered asking her, but had changed his mind at the last minute. Bren stepped into the doorway of the kitchen and put her hands on her hips, catching Jake and Josh's attention. "Phil Harris, put that thing out right now!" He actually jumped at having been caught again, quickly putting the cigarette out before she nodded and went back into the kitchen.

His sons looked after her and then back at him, their eyebrows raised at the way he had obeyed her so quickly. Catching their glances, he frowned, "What? The doctors said I couldn't smoke anymore, she's making sure I don't." They laughed and Jake stood up, walking into the kitchen to get himself something to drink, smiling at Bren when he came into the kitchen. She smiled back at him and busied herself with getting things ready for dinner.

When Jake left, Josh leaned forward a little more to talk to his dad, "If you're afraid she'll say no, don't be, she loves you too. Nik said that when she called and said you'd been hurt, Bren rushed all the way to Dutch just to see you. If she didn't love you, she wouldn't have come so far." Phil nodded and leaned back in his seat, raking a hand through his hair. "I just don't understand it though, I'm not young by any means, she still has a whole lifetime to live."

"Dad, she knew how old you were when she went into this with you, if it bothered her, I think she would have left by now." Josh said as he shrugged his shoulders and leaned back in his chair, watching his father carefully. Collecting his thoughts, Phil stood up and walked into the kitchen, slipping his arms around her waist. "I'm going into town for a few minutes, I'll be back soon, I promise." She smiled over her shoulder at him and nodded, tilting her head up to kiss him.

He covered her lips in a soft kiss, squeezing her gently and then letting her go, turning and walking out of the kitchen. Bren wiped her hands and rushed to the front door, catching his arm and causing him to turn around. She smiled softly and leaned up, kissing him again and then moving back, "Be careful and don't be late for dinner." He laughed and touched her cheek softly, "I will, don't worry." When he started to leave, she smiled again, "Phil, I love you, sweetheart." Looking over his shoulder, he cast a wide grin back at her, "I love you too, Bren, honey."


	16. Proposal

When Phil made it back home a few hours later, he pulled into the driveway and parked his truck, glancing up at the house itself. In his left hand he was clutching a small, black box, something he's spent hours picking out just for Bren. Sighing a bit, he rubbed a hand over his face and then got out of the truck, sliding the small box into his pocket. He was scared to ask her the question, if she ran off again, he knew he wouldn't make it without her this time. Shaking his head, he tried not to think about it, coming up onto the front porch and then walking into the house.

Everything was quiet, as it usually was even when Bren was home, he hadn't gotten used to that yet though. The table in the dining room was set for two like always, but there was no sign of Bren in there or in the kitchen. Raising an eyebrow, he walked through the kitchen and into the living room, stopping at the sight that greeted him. Bren was stretched out in front of the fireplace with a book in her hands, dressed in one of his button up shirts.

Her hair was free of its usual constraints and rested against her back, glowing almost golden in some places from the fire light. Something about the sight of her in something that was his, it made his heart beat faster. Quietly, he stepped on into the living room, watching her laying there reading like she would just suddenly disappear. He wanted her with him forever, and even more when he saw her in moments like this one.

Sensing the movement near her, Bren's gaze moved from the book straight to Phil, a soft smile crossing her lips. That smile triggered something in him and he felt himself smiling back before leaning down and taking her hands into his. Bren let him lift her to her feet, fitting into his arms when he pulled her closer to him. She brushed her fingers through his hair, their eyes meeting in a soft gaze that sent shivers all over Bren's body.

Leaning up, she pressed a kiss on his lips, not able to keep from it really, she was hardly ever able to keep her hands off of him. Phil kissed her back, cradling the back of her head in his hand, slowly drawing the kiss out. She felt herself slipping and gently moved back, lightly wetting her lips and then taking his hand, leading him into the dining room. "Sit down, I'll bring dinner out here." He nodded as she zipped off into the kitchen, a light smile curving his lips.

It was no secret she was still nervous around him, but he knew it was because there was a side of herself she didn't show easily. That was the part of her he wanted to see, what she didn't let anyone else see for whatever reasons she had. When she came back in with their dinner, he wasn't paying attention to the food, his eyes were locked on her. As soon as she saw the look on his eyes, she blushed and darted out of his reach to go sit down.

His gaze didn't leave her, watching every move she made, knowing she was fidgeting in her chair across from his. Neither of them spoke while they ate, his eyes never leaving her and she was sneaking glances at him when she thought he wasn't looking. After Bren finished her dinner, she stood up and rushed to the kitchen with the dirty dishes. Looking after her, Phil got up from his seat and carried his things into the kitchen, putting them into the sink.

She jumped when he appeared in there with her, moving to start washing dishes but Phil cut her off and pulled her to him. He wasn't keen on romance, but with Bren, he wanted to make everything as perfect as he could. With one hand, he pulled out the box from his pocket, moving to whisper into her ear, "Marry me, Brenna, I don't want to be without you anymore." Green eyes went wide at his words and she moved back from him, wondering if it was for real.

Phil watched her and then took the ring from the box, lifting her left hand and sliding a delicate diamond ring onto her ring finger. Bren looked down at the ring, it was a silver band with a small solitaire diamond in the shape of a heart. It wasn't fancy and it didn't need to be, tears were filling her eyes as she looked up at him. He watched her, reaching up to brush one of the tears away from her face, hoping against hope that she wouldn't turn him away now, not when he knew he couldn't live without her.

"Yes, oh my gosh, yes!" She was shaking from happiness, leaping up and wrapping her arms around his shoulders as tightly as she could. He caught her and held her close, grinning from ear to ear at the fact that she had said yes to him. Carefully, he lifted her up a little more and turned, leaving the kitchen and heading for the stairs. Bren blushed at being picked up and carried like this, but she let him do as he wanted for the moment.

When he walked into the bathroom, she blinked a few times, this wasn't where she'd expected the trip to lead to. He put her down on the counter and then closed the door and locked it, moving to the large bathtub that she'd fallen in love with. Green eyes watched him curiously as he turned on the water and then, to her amazement, he poured some of her bath oils into the water. Something was certainly going on here, she'd never known him to go to such lengths to be romantic before.

While the water was running, he turned and walked back to her, noticing the look of confusion on her face. Laughing softly, he brushed a hand through her hair and leaned in to kiss her, sliding the buttons of the shirt undone. She protested at first, but eventually gave in to him and let him remove the shirt, her cheeks turning bright red at the lack of clothing she had now. He was gentle as he lifted her up and tugged her underwear off before putting her back on her feet.

Bren would have sworn she was red as a fire truck right now, but he wasn't staring at her and wasn't pressuring her. It was helping to get her to relax with him, fidgeting a bit before glancing away and studying the wall. Phil shook his head with a light smile and then undressed himself, sliding down into the water with a soft sigh. She looked at him and blushed before slowly stepping into the water, making up her mind to sit at the other end of the bath.

Before she could move in that direction, he gently grabbed her hand and pulled her down to him, resting her back against his chest. A soft gasp came from her and she closed her eyes, shivering from how good it felt to be in his arms this way. He rested his head against hers and held her close to him, his fingertips sliding over her stomach. "Brenna, I love you…" She smiled and leaned her head back against his shoulder, looking at the ring on her finger. "I love you too, Phil Harris, and I can't wait to marry you." Laughing softly, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers in a light kiss, content just to be there with each other.


	17. Mr and Mrs Harris

Disclaimer: I own my characters from past and current stories. Sarah is sole property of SigGirl and I credit her with all of her ideas she shared with me for this story. Everyone else belongs to their respective owners, and no money is made from this at all, its pure entertainment.

A/N: I'm sorry this took so long, work and my health problems as of late have kept me from being able to update sooner than this. I also had my computer crash and delete all of this chapter, which I had to rewrite between last night and today, lol. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this!

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Brenna was giddy with happiness as she, Nikolina and Jessica stood in the small room making finishing touches to their dresses. Nik was grinning from ear to ear as she fussed over Bren's gown on one side while Jess was on the other side. The three of them were bundles of happiness over the wedding that would soon take place. Jess straightened up and smoothed out the pale blue dress she was wearing before looking up at Bren. "You look beautiful, Brenna, Phil won't know what hit him when he sees you walking down that deck toward him."

Nik nodded her agreement and grinned at her friend before embracing her in a tight hug and then pressing the bouquet into her hands. "Thank you both, you don't know how much it means to have you here with me." The other two smiled and then kissed Bren's cheek before turning and leaving the room to give her some time alone. Glancing back at herself in the mirror, Bren smiled softly and smoothed the front of her dress out again for the hundredth time that day.

Turning, she looked at herself in the full length mirror, that soft smile staying in place on her face. Everything would be perfect for today, it just had to be. Marrying Phil would be the happiest moment of her life. Nik had talked about her wedding day, and it had been phenomenal, clearly. For the Hansen couple, it was all they could do to keep their hands off of each other. Bren wanted to be that way with Phil, to love him so much that anyone could see it, even in a crowded room.

Dropping a hand to her stomach, she grinned brightly, she and Phil had a secret, they were expecting a baby. That thought made her all the more eager to just run down the aisle and marry him, to have him as her own. She would be walked down the aisle by Sig, something she still didn't completely understand, but it didn't matter to her, he was like a brother. They had a weird bond with each other that was growing stronger every day, and she also had a great deal of respect for him.

Nik and Jess were standing beside Andy, talking to each other quietly with wide smiles on both their faces. The two of them were grinning from ear to ear and giggling almost uncontrollably. Jess kept glancing up at Andy and making goo-goo eyes at him every chance she got. The Time Bandit captain was getting a little unnerved by this, but he just smiled at her warily. Jake and Josh Harris were standing with the rest of the Cornelia Marie crew, huge smiles on their faces.

They had worked for days to get the boat ready for a nice wedding, obviously very pleased with themselves for helping to make things as beautiful as they were. Flowers were scattered all over the deck in various places, brightening up the whole boat. There was a white arc set up where Andy was standing, covered in flowers and white bows. A long stretch of white fabric had been laid out leading from below deck to the arc so that Bren's dress would stay off the main part of the deck.

Phil was standing at the end of the aisle with a smile on his face, dying to have her come to him and marry her. He loved Bren more than anything in the world, not liking to be away from her for even a second anymore. When he had found out she was pregnant, he had nearly hugged her to pieces over the news. They hadn't told anyone yet, and most likely wouldn't for a little while longer, choosing to enjoy it themselves before they told anyone. Reaching up, Phil adjusted his tie, not liking the idea of the tuxedo, but he would do anything for her. Sig had joked that since Bren came along, Phil's style of dress had changed considerably.

Below deck, the Norwegian captain knocked on the door to the room where Bren was getting ready. "Come in, its not locked." She called out as she adjusted her veil a bit and then turned around to face the door. Sig greeted her with a smile and pulled her into a tight hug, "I'm so glad you and Phil are finally getting married, its good to see both of you happy, Bren." A grin crossed her face and she moved back from him, smoothing out her dress again. "I'm glad we're getting married too, Sig. He's my other half, just like Nik is yours." The two of them shared a knowing smile before Sig held out his arm to her, "They'll be wondering where the bride it, and I for one don't want to deal with my lovely wife when she's in a bad mood."

They laughed as Bren rolled her eyes and slid her hand onto Sig's arm, taking a small breath before letting him lead her from the room. Music started to play and everyone turned to look at the doorway leading below deck. When Bren appeared with Sig, gasps sounded all across the deck of the Cornelia Marie to see how beautiful she was. Phil felt his heart skip a beat at the sight of her, starting to get a little nervous now.

When she reached his side, Sig let go of her and leaned up, kissing her forehead and then moving to stand beside Nik. She looked up at her very soon to be husband and smiled brightly, letting him take her hands into his, squeezing them gently. Just as Andy was about to start the ceremony, Edgar and his new girlfriend, Sarah, climbed over the rail of the Cornelia Marie. Sig and Nik shot them a light glare at their late entrance to the wedding.

Sarah caught the glares and gave a bright grin before going over to the Northwestern crew, Edgar being pulled along with her. Leaning over toward Sig, Edgar spoke softly, "Sorry we were late, we had to pick up some last minute gifts for the newlyweds." The older Hansen brother rolled his eyes and put an arm around his wife. From his left, Norman laughed softly while he held his baby niece, Kirsten, in his arms, Erik standing at his side with a wide grin.

Andy finally started the ceremony, but Bren and Phil barely even heard him at all, staring into each others eyes. Everyone was smiling while Andy spoke, casting knowing glances at the couple that were off in their own world. Bren said her vows and Phil said his, sliding matching golden bands onto each others fingers. Tears welled up in the bride's eyes and Phil felt his own eyes starting to tear up at the sight of her happiness. When they had said their 'I do's' Phil reached up and lifted Bren's veil, brushing her tears away before leaning down to kiss her.

The deck of the Cornelia Marie erupted into cheering and applause when they kissed, sealing their marriage. Andy was grinning broadly as he held up his hands, "Finally we can introduce Mr. and Mrs. Phil Harris, its about dang time too!" Bren and Phil laughed as they turned to face their friends and family, their happiness shining on their faces. The single women, minus Sarah, gathered in a small group and Bren laughed before turning her back to them and tossing her bouquet over her head. Squeals of excitement rang out and the women made a mad grab for the bouquet.

Jessica gasped softly when it landed in her hands, a bright red blush crossing her cheeks as her eyes locked with Andy's. Sig and Nik laughed at the looks on their faces, it wouldn't be long before there was another wedding in the fleet. Glancing around, Bren noticed that Sarah and Edgar had disappeared from the crowd. Just as she opened her mouth to say something, small explosions sounded from near the wheelhouse and everyone turned to see what was going on. Cursing softly, Sig spotted his brother and Sarah laughing controllably, "If its not fire…its bombs…"

Nik stifled her laughter and hugged her husband close, Sarah and Edgar could never resist the chance to set something on fire, or set off some seal bombs. Phil glared at the two of them, softly cursing and grumbling about pyromaniacs. Bren burst out into laughter and hugged her new husband close, shushing him softly. He grumbled a little more, but finally calmed down at the insistence of his new wife, wrapping his arms around her.

Murray went up to the wheelhouse and started the boat while the rest of the Cornelia Marie crew brought tables and chairs out onto the deck. Nik and Jess scrambled off to the kitchen along with Christa to get the food brought up. Phil took Bren's hand and led her over to the rail, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. She smiled and leaned back against him, watching the soft waves of the Bering Sea as they leisurely started their cruise around the harbor.

They were sneaking kisses and talking quietly with each other until Sig cleared his throat to get the attention of everyone. "In the true tradition of Bering Sea weddings, Phil you get to do the honors this time." Everyone but the women started grinning, knowing what was about to happen, but the rest of them were clueless. Before she had a chance to think, Phil scooped Bren up and kissed her before grinning and dropping her over the edge of the rail. She squealed just before she hit the water, gasping softly when she broke the surface.

Nik was appalled at what she saw, but a second later, she ran over with Sig and they tipped Phil into the water along with his wife. Bren started laughing as she looked at Phil and then up at Nik and Sig, rolling her eyes. Grinning from ear to ear, Sig moved back a little and then lifted his wife up, who let out a shriek just before he tossed her in as well. "Sorry sweetheart, its tradition, and you were pregnant during our wedding." She shot him a playful glare and he grinned back at her before having Johnathan lower the picking hook to Bren.

Reaching up, she grabbed it and was hauled out of the water and onto the deck, soaking wet and shivering a bit. Nik was next, followed by Phil, everyone smiling and laughing as the three soaked ones hurried below deck to change clothes. While everyone was distracted, Sarah and Edgar snuck up behind Jake Anderson and the Harris boys, placing some seal bombs near them. As usual, the two biggest pranksters were about to pull yet another one, but this time on some of the youngest members of the fleet.

Nik came back onto the deck in a light blue sundress and slightly wet hair, a smile on her face as she walked over to her husband. Sig smiled at her and then blinked when she smacked him upside the head, causing everyone to start laughing. Bren and Phil reappeared wearing comfortable clothes, clinging to each other with smiles on their faces. They walked over to the table where the wedding cake was, rolling their eyes at the tiny crab decorations scattered across it.

Together, they cut two pieces of cake before reaching up to feed the small pieces to each other, trying not to laugh. About the time they were doing that, the seal bombs Edgar and Sarah had set behind the three young men went off. They jumped straight up and Josh fell into his brother, who fell into Jake Anderson, the three of them crashing into the table. Nik covered her mouth as she watched the cake fly up off the table and then come back down onto the three of them.

Bren and Phil took one look at the boys and started laughing along with the rest of the wedding party. Shaking her head, Bren leaned down and swiped some cake off the end of Jake Harris's nose and slid her finger into her mouth. "Mmm, nothing like a good prank, and it tastes good too!" Everyone started laughing again as the three of them got up and grumbled before glaring at Edgar and Sarah. The couple stopped laughing and took a step back.

Before they could escape, the three boys threw cake at them, causing Nik's eyes to go wide at the display. A second later, a cake war started on the deck and Bren squealed, running up the steps toward the wheelhouse. Phil was right behind her, running inside and pushing Murray out before they closed and locked the doors. Grinning at each other, they watched out the window as the cake continued to fly, leaving no one without some part of it on them. "I can already tell, my life will never be without happiness again." Phil grinned and nodded to his wife, wrapping her in his arms and dropping a kiss on her lips, "You can count on that Brenna Harris, you can count on that."


End file.
